UFC fighter Forrest Griffin gives instructions to students during a Training and Development Session at the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Houston.

Photo: Michael Paulsen, Houston Chronicle

UFC fighter Forrest Griffin gives instructions to students during a...

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UFC fighter Forrest Griffin (center) gives instructions to students as he wrestles Josh Altum, 14, during a Training and Development Session at the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Houston.

UFC fighter Forrest Griffin (left) gives instructions as he wrestles Michael Shields during a Training and Development Session at the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Houston.

Photo: Michael Paulsen, Houston Chronicle

UFC fighter Forrest Griffin (left) gives instructions as he...

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Annie Thorisdottir from Iceland and Frederik Aegidius from Denmark watch as competitors compete in the CrossFit challenge at the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Houston.

Photo: Michael Paulsen, Houston Chronicle

Annie Thorisdottir from Iceland and Frederik Aegidius from Denmark...

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Fans filter in to the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Houston.

When Dana White and his partners, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, first bought the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2001 for $2 million, they had one long-term goal - build a sport.

Ten years later, the UFC is available in 155 countries, half a billion homes and 22 languages. And with a new seven-year contract with the Fox Network, mixed martial arts could be on the verge of becoming a mainstream sport.

"Everything we had planned on happening is happening," White said. "The Fox deal brings a lot more credibility for us. We've been given this opportunity to go mainstream.

This is the second UFC event Houston has hosted. The UFC made its debut in the Bayou City in 2007 with UFC 69.

Plenty has changed for the UFC in those four years.

The UFC brand has expanded with the purchase of several of its competitors. The two biggest acquisitions, Pride and Strikeforce, have allowed the UFC to set up plenty of exciting cards that have brought in more fans.

TV ratings on Spike and pay-per-view numbers also have increased dramatically since 2007. UFC 69 was projected to have around 400,000 pay-per-view buys. Last year, the UFC surpassed that total 10 times, with UFC 116 peaking at an estimated 1.16 million buys.

"These past four years couldn't have gone better," White said. "The sport has grown so much since then. If you look at that male 18- to 34-year-old demographic, we beat everyone - even the NFL."

Plenty to 'like'

Helping add to the UFC's popularity is the emergence of social media. The UFC was one of the first sports to use the service, featuring videos and chats on its website.

The UFC expanded its social media use once services like Twitter were introduced. White has more than 1.7 million followers, as he uses Twitter for hours each day to interact with fans.

Four of Saturday's preliminary fights, which are scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m., will be streamed live through Facebook (facebook.com/ufc).

The UFC website also features many behind-the-scenes videos, showing what fighters are like before and after big bouts.

"As real social media started to come up, we dove on it," White said. "And we love it. Twitter is the best for me. It gives me an opportunity to talk to the fans. I embrace everyone, even those that want to say what an idiot I am."

White said a big part of the sport's continued rise has been the experience UFC events offer. Unlike boxing, White said he makes sure the people that are in attendance get as much entertainment as those watching on TV.

Houston fight fans seem to agree. UFC 69 set a Toyota Center attendance record, and UFC 136 is primed to surpass that mark.

"Last time it was the highest-grossing event at the Toyota Center," Toyota Center and Rockets CEO Tad Brown said. "Lo and behold, years later, it is going to be the same thing again.

"It's proof that Houston loves this sport and (the fans) know that, pound for pound, this is the best entertainment and best sporting value you're going to find."

Next round begins

With fights beginning on Fox full time in 2012, White will be even more focused on the UFC broadcasts. He said his job will be to attract millions more with exciting matchups.

"We have to kick some serious (butt) the next two years," White said. "There are no other hurdles for us now. My focus now is putting on great television events. Having a seven-year deal with Fox means I can dig in and work on building my business."

White said he knows there will always be critics of him and his organization. That's OK with him, as long as the UFC continues its steady progress to becoming a mainstream sport.

"People have been criticizing me for 10 years," he said. "Every move we've made the past 10 years was the wrong move and stupid and would never work.

"So I'm going to continue making moves that are stupid and will never work."